The present invention relates generally to a system and method for the use of an application tool that allows the user to view and/or edit specific portions of a layered drawing with a modified view.
Computer graphics systems for the desktop are being used more and more by engineers, architects, scientists and others for the creation of highly complex images and drawings. Frequently these computer graphics systems provide xe2x80x9clayerxe2x80x9d support to enable the computer graphics user to deal with increased drawing complexity. For example, the architect may utilize one layer of a drawing for the wiring diagram and another layer of the drawing for heating and cooling systems, and a third for framing detail of the home construction. FIG. 1 represents a conventional layered diagram 10. The diagram 10 is comprised of a first layer 12, a second layer 14, and a third layer 16. xe2x80x9cLayersxe2x80x9d enable the user to see a simplified view of the drawing to facilitate the editing or creation of a particular aspect or component of the drawing. The user may view all layers of the drawing at one time or specify that certain layers are to be xe2x80x9cinvisiblexe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d state prevents accidental modification of a layer or component of the drawing when the user is intending to only perform modifications on another layer or layers. The invisible state simplifies the view enabling the user to see just those aspects of the drawing that he is currently concerned with.
While this is a most valuable feature on computer graphics and CAD systems, there are limitations and problems with its current usage. One difficulty lies in the fact that the designation of which layers are visible and which layers are invisible applies to the entire drawing or file which has been opened by the user. This presents a particular problem when the user wishes to view only a single layer generally, but momentarily wishes to view one or more other layers in a particular portion of the drawing. In today""s layer technology, the user must temporarily make visible the needed layers for the entire drawing.
For example, referring back to FIG. 1, assume the user is viewing one layer 12 of his drawing. Also assume this user needs to view one portion 11 of all the layers. Conventional methods available to the user require him to display the complete view for the entire drawing 10, even though the user only needs to see all the layers of the one portion 11. This introduces a lot of additional complexity in all areas of the drawing in addition to just the selected portion 11 that was desired by the user. This complexity, distortion and obfuscation in all areas of the drawing rather than just the selected portion may result in the user losing orientation within the drawing, slowing the speed with which changes are made and increasing the risk of error.
The user may also be viewing multiple layers concurrently but momentarily wishes to view a portion of the drawing with fewer or different layers. A similar problem arises in that the user is forced to adjust which layers are visible for the entire drawing. This may cause a loss of the detail to be displayed in the drawing, which may result in the user losing orientation within the drawing or missing essential detail. This deficiency can reduce the speed with which changes are made and increase the risk of error. Accordingly, what is needed is a tool to facilitate viewing the appropriate layers in only the portion of the drawing for which the modified layer view is desired.
A method and system of displaying graphical images in a computer graphics system is disclosed. In a display of a graphical image including a plurality of graphic layers, the method and system comprise creating a layer viewport in response to a user interaction, associating at least one of the plurality of graphic layers with the layer viewport and displaying a modified view of the at least one graphical image within the viewport by excluding one or more layers which are not associated with the viewport from view within the viewport.
Through the use of a system and method in accordance with the present invention, a user can achieve the desired view of a graphical image or portion thereof. In one aspect of the invention, this view within the viewport facilitates graphic object visualization, selection and modification, unencumbered by the distortion or obfuscation created by the display of layers that are unnecessary for the operation at hand, while preserving a complete view of all the layers in the remainder of the drawing.